The University of the Philippines in Cebu showcased its accomplishments in the arts, sciences and technology in an event to welcome newly installed UP Sytem president Alfredo Pascual on Sept. 23.
The daylong event was a celebration of the first anniversary of the college’s autonomy and Pascual’s recent investiture as the 20th president of the national university.
Pascual and Prof. J. Karl Roque, UP Cebu’s Arts and Humanities Cluster chairman, opened “Among Ani (Our Harvest).” The exhibit of works produced by fine arts students was presented at the conference hall lobby of the university in barangay Lahug, Cebu City.
Prof. Lilia Tio, in a Cebuano cultural show at the conference hall, presented her research, “Revisiting the Daygon, Pasyon, Gozos and Balitaw: A Closer Look at the Vanishing Religious and Secular Cebuano Song Forms.”
Tio and retired professor Alfredo Montano performed in a sample balitaw—a sung dialogue in which a young man and woman try to outperform each other in improvising romantic lyrics.
As a token of their appreciation, the UP Cebu community gave Pascual a pastel portrait of himself that Roque drew.
Pascual, in a speech, said the UP Cebu’s autonomy does not mean independence from the UP system.
“We may have seven constituent universities, but we still continue to uphold the same virtues of honor and excellence. We are still one university, one UP,” Pascual said.
The UP System has constituent universities in Baguio City, Diliman (in Quezon City), Los Baños (in Laguna province), the Visayas and Mindanao. The Open University is based in Los Baños.
UP Cebu was granted autonomous status last year in preparation to becoming a constituent university.
Pascual said he does not want regional organizations to exist in UP Cebu since these do not promote nationalism and unity.
“People say that UP is the microcosm of the country. We should prove to them that we are more than that,” Pascual said.
After lunch with college administrators, faculty and alumni, Pascual toured the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and UP Cebu’s Technology Business Incubator (TBI), where information technology business concepts are created and tested before launching.
Prof. Pauline Wade, TBI project leader, said the incubator offers qualified individuals free business mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs as well as technology innovation and product development.
The “Halad Pasalamat (thanksgiving offering)” was held in the afternoon as a tribute to UP Cebu retirees and service awardees.
Library staff Ma. Cristina Simbajon and Jesus Duterte and Associate Prof. Nelia S. Ereno of the Natural Sciences and Mathematics Cluster were given awards for 25 years of service to the college.
Retired professors Felisa Etemadi, Dr. Madrileña Dela Cerna and Dr. Maria Rosario Piquero-Ballescas of the Social Sciences Cluster; Dr. Neri Gantuangco and Lourdes Barcenas of the Management Cluster and Rosario Rafols from the Office of the College Secretary received certificates of recognition for more than 30 years of work in the college.
In her speech, Etemadi lauded the university’s efficiency in using its resources. “UP is doing so much with so little,” she said.
Pascual’s visit ended with a question-and-answer forum with the faculty, administration and students at the college’s conference hall.
Students pointed out UP Cebu’s lack of new facilities and asked Pascual what he will do to stop the Aquino administration from cutting the university’s budget.
In reply, Pascual said the administration of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo did not fully grant UP’s past budget requests. He corrected the use of the phrase “budget cut” by the students.
“In Diliman, everyone is fighting for a budget increase, not (against a) budget cut,” he said, referring to the government’s proposed 2012 budget of P5.5 billion for the UP System as opposed to the P18 billion that it needs.
Pascual, a master of business administration, is a former infrastructure finance director at the Asian Development Bank and professor of financial management at the Asian Institute of Management.
Before he was appointed UP president by President Benigno Aquino III, he was president of the UP Alumni Association and was alumni regent on the Board of Regents.
He succeeded Dr. Emerlinda Roman last Feb. 10. His six-year term expires in 2017./contributor peter l. romanillos